The Untold Story of Regulus Black
by mysteryteenagelover
Summary: You've heard all about Sirius and his story, now read about his younger brother. Will he finish Hogwarts? Why and how does he join the Death Eaters? How is his fate sealed? Chapters 5, 6 & 7 now up, 8 coming soon! Please R and R - much appreciated!
1. In The Beginning

'Slytherin!'

Regulus thought back to that moment, seven years ago exactly, when he had first heard that word in his head. The fair boy who had just been Sorted stumbled thankfully over to the Slytherin table and collapsed onto a bench beside a burly second year. Glancing across the dining hall, he expected to see his brother's face among the red and gold. But he didn't. Of course, how could he have forgotten. Sirius had left Hogwarts, being a year older. He was no doubt lazing around with that good-for-nothing James and the rest of them.

His attention was pulled back to the table as the golden platters were filled. This would be his last Sorting and Start of Term Feast. His NEWTs lay ahead, and all Regulus wanted was to be left in peace and sleep.

'Reg!'

His head pounded as the voice of his friend echoed down the table. He shook his head, and his friend fell silent, but pointed with great enthusiasm towards the Hufflepuff table, three paces away. A small boy in hand-me-down robes was shrinking further into his seat every time the huge boy next to him, who Regulus recognised as the Hufflepuff Beater, a fifth-year, poked him. He couldn't hear, but he got the gist.

Hating Mudbloods had been bred into his blood, and he had no reason to see any differently. But into his head came the vision of his mother trying time after time to lift the Bruising Curse Sirius had placed on him two years ago. Snape had been tormenting Lily about her Muggle parents. James usually stood up for her, but he had been in the Hospital Wing. Regulus was deathly afraid of James Potter, but as he wasn't here, Regulus walked over and stood, arms crossed, with the rest of his Slytherin friends. Sirius' face had contorted with fury. And then he had let the curse fly, and it hit him straight in the left eye and spread. Fast.

The scarring had just gone away this last summer. None of his friends had noticed, everyone was always getting into duels and contracting nasty cute in the hallways near the dungeons where they could challenge each other without fear of teacher's interference. But still, he nursed the worst scar just below his collarbone as a reminder to never interfere with his brother again. And even though Sirius wasn't here anymore, Regulus didn't have the guts to enjoy it. He was too tired.

That night, after he had pulled shut the green and silver curtains on his four-poster, he had the strangest dream. A silver mass, which he recognised to be an unformed Patronus, was beckoning. He tried to shake his head, but he couldn't. It was pulling him in his dream towards the Forbidden Forest. He tried to resist, and this time it let him. He had never learnt Occulemency, and so he could feel the thing's thoughts seeping into his unprotected mind.

'The Forest…come…'

'NO!' The shout had awakened his consciousness, and also everyone in the boy's dormitory.

'S-sorry,' he muttered, 'Not sure what…happened…'

He trailed off. Out the window, the trees waved threateningly in his direction. Wait, that was stupid. They were _trees_. They couldn't _threaten_. Not him. He refused to be scared. Whispers as the branches brushed together reached into the dormitory. Regulus shut his eyes and pulled the curtains blocking out the moon's pearly glow. But he couldn't shut out the whispers, and the feeling of being pulled by the Patronus, as they crept back into dreams that surrounded a fitful sleep.


	2. Trouble In Potions

The morning dawned bright and sunny, but Regulus barely even noticed as he donned his usual black robes.

'Ready for breakfast, Reg?' Terry yelled from three beds down.

'Yeah…sure…' Regulus was preoccupied. His dreams had left him with a sense on unease, and even in the brightly lit dormitory it was hard to escape the feeling that he was being watched. The Patronus unexpectedly came into his head, and then left just as quickly. He shook himself. What madness was this?

'Hey, Terry? Ready to go?'

At the table Regulus determined not to even think about it. He glanced into the Daily Prophet as he absent-mindedly buttered a piece of toast. Taking a bite, he skipped the front page and quickly scanned the columns for anything interesting. A couple of Muggles killed in Surrey, nothing important. He took a swig of pumpkin juice, and chatted to Terry about Defence Against the Dark Arts, and who the teacher would be this year.

'Wonder why it is they can't hold on to a teacher though?'

'Expect they're scared of Dumbledore, or something. Who cares?'

'True.'

Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed that the skinny Hufflepuff had seated himself at the far end of the table, away from the massive bulk of the Beater that had been bullying him last night. The Beater – ' 'is name's Smith, James, I 'ink ' said Terry, through a massive mouthful of bacon, was glowering at him down the table, but the boy only smiled bravely and absorbed himself in a debate about Salamanders with his friends.

A headline in the paper caught Regulus' eye. _Dark Lord Wreaks Havoc In The Ministry – Insiders Blame Infiltration_.

'Wow,' James, another of Regulus' friends said, peering over his shoulder at the story, 'He must be getting stronger, if he's prepared to pull funny stuff with the Ministry. Mind you, he's helping us with the half-blood and Mudblood stuff, so he can do whatever he bloody well pleases as far as I'm concerned. Anyone who's got the guts to go against Dumbledore and the Minister and help us with something like this, well … wow!'

A couple of Slytherin boys nodded in agreement. It was true that since the Confederation had passed the law about killing Muggles and Mudbloods – 'bloody Dumbledore again!' Regulus' father had said – nobody had even bothered trying to argue. The combined forces of the Wizengamont, Ministry, Hogwarts Headmaster and Confederation were too much for everyone to go against. Except for the Dark Lord, who everyone was calling You Know Who these days anyway. Too scared, apparently to use his real name anymore.

'Oi! Reg! T Douglas! Wait up!'

The rather well covered form of Goyle came around the corner of the dungeon corridor, panting.

'You know, I reckon everything's a waste now, 'cept for Defence, 'o course.'

'Huh?'

'Well, ya see, what with You Know Who getting power all of a sudden, and him recruiting, and him being in Slytherin, he's got favourites 'o course, old school friends who he wants to follow him and all, and me dad wants to do it, and me dad wants me to as well, when I leave school.'

'Very…interesting…' Terry managed. Regulus' entire family had been in Slytherin, except for Sirius. Professor Slughorn was always said that was a pity. Slughorn was ancient, apparently he's actually taught the Dark Lord, when he was here. Nobody really believed him fully, but listening to his stories, it was hard not to. Everyone had come to the conclusion that either he was a very good storyteller and a good exaggerator, or that he had actually done some amazing things. Everyone believed the former.

'So what d'you guys think? Wanna join up, get the glory, serve the Dark Lord himself?' He was excited and clearly expected them to say yes.

'Oh yeah!'

'Definitely.'

'Good!' Goyle said.

'What is?'

The stringy-haired, limp form of Yaxely and come around the corner, and behind him trailed Dolohov and Crabbe.

'The Dark Lord thing?'

' 'Course!'

'Yeah, why wouldn't we?'

'So we can pass all out NEWTs and go the Ministry like Arthur Weasly'll do, and whatever the name of the good-for-nothing girl that's always hanging off his arm will?'

'Fat chance!'

'Silence!' Slughorn yelled at the class for quiet.

'You six! Slytherins! Black, Douglas, Goyle, Yaxely, Dolohov, Crabbe! Why are you late? Tell me!'

'Er…'

'Well sir…'

'We…'

'Um…'

'You see, sir…'

'Detention! The lotta ya! Now, sit down and shut up and let me get on with my class!'

The six disgraced Slytherin boys sat down, but Regulus' mind was churning. Leave Hogwarts? Join the Dark Lord? Hmmm…


	3. Research, Abandonment and Escape

'Oi! Over here!' Regulus and some of his friends were in the library. It was just past midnight. They knew perfectly well that they'd never get into the restricted section unless they came in the dark. Dolohov, the smartest of the group of them and probably bordering on the cleverest in the year, had studied and performed Disillusionment charms on the six of them, to help avoid detection. Regulus still couldn't get used to the feeling, looking down at your stomach and seeing a huge silver book balancing under a lantern was just plain creepy.

'What? Did you find something?' Regulus, with Crabbe and Goyle close behind him creepy over to where Dolohov, Yaxely and Douglas where hunched over a huge black volume by the window. They all gathered over, Dolohov raising the lantern so that they could all see, and it threw sickening shades of yellow beams over the shelves.

'The Dark Mark,' he whispered. The confusion in the air was tangible.

'Come again?'

' "The Dark Mark is a tattoo, bearing the Dark Lord's mark, that is burnt into the left forearm of every Death Eater in the service of the Dark Lord." '

'Death Eater?' wondered Crabbe.

' "A Death Eater,' Dolohov continued, 'is the name given to any witch of wizard in the pay of the Dark Lord. The Mark is that of a skull with a serpent for a tongue, believed to be symbolic of the days the Dark Lord spent in Slytherin House at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, the crest of which is a serpent. Other theories are that it is emblematic"–'

'Big word…'muttered Goyle.

'A symbol for,' Regulus told him, 'and shut up.'

' "– emblematic for the pet snake, dubbed Nagini, that the Dark Lord keeps with him at all times, allegedly draped around his neck, or it may pay homage to the fact that the Dark Lord has the uncanny ability to speak Parstletounge." He can talk to snakes,' he added, as Goyle opened his mouth again.

'What else does it say?' Yaxely wanted to know, leaning over the book.

' "When the Dark Lord wished to gather his Death Eaters around him, he must find any Death Eater and press his forefinger to the Mark upon his or her arm. This makes every Dark Mark burn upon its owner, and this is the signal for every follower to Disapparate and Apparate again instantly at his side." And then it just says a whole lot about how they gather around him in a circle. Oh, listen. "The penalty for any disloyalty to the Dark Lord is punishable by death. Any disobeyed command, failure to Apparate into his presence when called or treason means death. In other cases, severe torture is used as penalty." '

'I guess it's saying once you're in it, you're in it for life,' stated Douglas.

'Why would you even want to leave, though? We know it's right, I want to join right now. Do you think the Dark Lord'll care how many OWLs we got, or how many Outstandings we get? He'll just want loyal followers who can do his bidding. Just think, we can help rid the world of Mudbloods and Halfbloods!'

'Wicked.'

The next morning, six Slytherin boys were exhausted.

'I reckon we sh-sh-sh-should so it,' Yaxely told Regulus, stifling a huge yawn.

'Join?'

'Yeah. Listen, we could grab our brooms, wait until dusk when Slughorn closes the front doors, get that cool camoflauge charm from Dolohov, dodge Hagrid's house and fly over the forest. Simple.'

'And then where do we go?'

'Huh. Good question. We should ask around, see if anyone we know has parents that could help us…what?' Regulus' face had turned an excited shade of pink.

'I think I heard my parents talking to Sirius over the Summer. Pleading, it sounded like. Begging him. I couldn't hear, but it was about joining something. I'll bet that's what it was, we've got a whole lotta Dark stuff in the basement, I've never been down there, but Sirius did once, when he was twelve and got this funny scar on his back that's been there ever since.'

'Perfect. So if we show up at your house, say that's what we wanna do, they'll help us?'

'I'm sure of it. And if not, my Aunt, Bellatrix Lestrange, I've heard her boasting she's right behind the Dark Lord, knows him even. She could help us, if my parents can't.'

'Perfect.'

That night there was a meeting of the six Slytherin boys in Regulus' dorm. Yaxely told them about the plan. Everyone agreed, except Douglas.

'Coward,' sneered Goyle.

'Chicken,' laughed Crabbe.

'Baby,' chuckled Dolohov.

Regulus didn't know what to say. He knew that this was where his life was headed, it had been bred into his blood. But could he leave his best friend behind? Then he looked into the unmerciful faces of his four friends and knew he had to go. He almost smiled at Douglas, but turned his head away. The five of them packed their trunks my magic and bewitched them to fly to Regulus' parents mansion. Dolohov Disillusioned them all, and the grabbed their brooms and hid behind the shadowy eaves in the nook across from the front door.

The rotund from of Slughorn appeared. The lifted his wand and the door began to swing.

'Now!' shouted Yaxely. The five hidden forms zoomed out the castle doors, a fraction of a second before they clamped tightly shut, and soared out towards to moon that lit up the Forbidden Forest.


	4. Initiation

Five pale-faced, nervous boys stood before an ominous, shadowy figure in black, trembling. Regulus dared dart a glance from side to side, taking in numerous headstones and a huge old, and from the looks of it, abandoned, house on the hill near the graveyard.

'Black!' a high-pitched voice reprimanded. Regulus dropped his head back to the frosted, cracked ground.

'So, you wish to join my ranks of faithful Death Eaters. I trust you all know what lies in store of anyone cowardly, traitorous or disobedient? Bravery and blind obedience are the only qualities valued here.' The high voice cackled with amusement as the long, ghostly pale fingers caressed a wand.

'Crucio!' cackled Lord Voldemort, directing his wand lazily at Dolohov's heart. Dolohov fell to the ground, writhing and screaming as if submitted to some terrible torture. After a long, unbearable minute, the long hand flicked the wand away. Dolohov was shaking unbearably, but got to his feet and inclined his head. In turn, the Dark Lord flicked his wand at the boys. Last, he turned his red, cat-like eyes on Regulus.

'Crucio!' he screamed. Regulus, doubled over, managing to stay standing but a roar tore his throat. It felt as though white-hot knives were piercing every inch of his skin, the worst pain he had ever felt in his life. He wanted it to end…to black out…to die. And then it was gone.

Unsteadily, he took his hands off his knees, straightened his back and bowed his head.

'Yesssss,' Voldemort hissed. 'And now…' Regulus was more than ready to back out; he couldn't take any more pain. Four out of the five of them flinched as the Dark Lord raised his arm, but Yaxely stood firm, eyes flickering. He swept his arm aside, and the five of them were clad in black robes and silver, glittering masks.

'Thankyou, thankyou my Lord,' the five of them stammered, gasping.

'And now, for the final…touch…'

A hint of malice had crept into the high, cold voice, but it was amused malice, sadistic, like its owner was enjoying the punishment of others. Lord Voldemort walked up to Crabbe, stared straight into his eyes with his own bloody slits. He ripped his sleeve up his forearm, and placed the tip of a long, eerily white finger onto the flesh.

'Mordsmorde,' whispered the frosty voice. What looked like fire from where Regulus was standing five feet away shot from the fingertip and encased Crabbe's arm, glowing. Crabbe let out a howl, and just as suddenly the flames vanished. The four boys leaned forward and the Dark Lord made no move to stop them. A black skull, tinged with green and with a snake crawling out of its mouth in place of a tongue occupied Crabbe's entire forearm. An audible gasp slid from Yaxely's lips.

In turn, the four remaining boys were branded with the Dark Mark. Again, Regulus was last. The three others had succumbed to the pain with audible sounds, Goyle had let out a high-pitched squeak, Yaxely had groaned and Dolohov had made a gruff yell. Regulus could feel the fire eating at his arm, but he made no sound. His willpower held out.

'Yesssss,' hissed Voldemort again. And then he turned on the spot and vanished into the darkness. And uncanny glow shimmered where he had left the air, and then that too, was gone.

Regulus thought back to where they had been standing not three hours ago. In his parent's living room, waiting for the OK. He had discovered many things he never knew about his parents that morning. Neither of them were Death Eaters, but they both had connections in all the right places. And they had never been prouder of their youngest son. Not ever. They had set everything up for him, and all he and his four companions had had to do, was Apparate at a specific time and place. They had.

Regulus dropped his face to his hands, still kneeling in the graveyard. _He was a Death Eater..._


	5. The First Failure

Regulus winced with pain, gripping his lower left forearm, fingers turning white from the effort. Abruptly it stopped, and the glittering black skull dulled to a matt shade. He released it, and then threw both hands out onto the table to stop himself from falling over.

'Is master alright?' asked Kreacher, skulking in the doorway as usual, filthy loincloth sagging over his bony frame. 'Is master sick?'

'I'm…fine, Kreacher,' rasped Regulus, turning his head towards the elf, 'Did you finish mother's study?'

'It shall be done, master,' croaked Kreacher, and disappeared with a loud crack which reverberated off the walls.

'Sefulus,' whispered Regulus, directing his wand at himself. Black robes swirled around his ankles and his view suddenly became limited to two small circles through the silver mask that glittered strangely in the half-light of the kitchen. Then he took a step forward and spun on his heel, disappearing into thin air.

His feet planted firmly into the ground, and even with his eyes shut he was aware that he was not alone. He forced them open, and realized that he was standing in between Yaxely, and a man he did not know, but he noticed was at least twice as tall as he was.

'Late, Regulus,' came a cold, high voice whose owner crossed the frosty ground in three quick strides to stand behind him. His pale, ghostly and eerily transparent fingers tightened around his wand. Regulus flinched, sure that a torture sure was coming his way.

But…footsteps echoed in the opposite direction and opening his eyes, he breathed a sigh of relief.

'Rookwood,' rang the chilling tone across the icy graveyard, 'What do you have for me?'

'W-well, my Lord, the Order of the Phoenix met last week. The location I cannot tell you, the privilege rests with the Secret Keepers alone, and I – '

'Wait,' Voldemort said, holding up one elongated hand, and Rookwood subsided at once.

'Keepers?'

'Yes, m-my Lord, there are two of them. A husband and a wife. I'm not sure as to - '

'The Longbottoms…'

'Excuse me, my Lord?'

'Frank and Alice. It must be. Rookwood…' breathed Lord Voldemort.

'My Lord?' There was a definite tremble in his voice.

'You, track them down. I want them alive, able to speak. Whatever you have to do.'

'Th-thankyou, m-my Lord.'

'Black!' His back was still to Regulus, but his voice resounded clearly across the empty, icy necropolis.

'My Lord?' Regulus worked hard to keep his voice cool and steady.

'You will go too.'

'My Lord, I don't need – '

'Silence!' The terrifying voice pierced the ears of everyone in the circle.

'I apologize, my Lord,' Rookwood amended, his fear permeating the air around the circle, making everyone shift uneasily in their places.

'I'm warning you, Black, one movement, and I'll hand you to the Dark Lord. Get me?' Rookwood's harsh voice grated on Regulus' ears.

'Yes, sir.'

'Come on then. Move it!' Regulus hastened through the doorway, hidden behind Rookwood's considerable bulk. Animated voices could be heard through the doorway. The sliver of light that fell through the slightly ajar door allowed them to see the side of a man's head, covered in close curly hair, and the back of a woman's, blonde ponytail swinging as she strolled out of sight. She returned to view with a bundle of blankets in her arms, the flailing fists of a baby visible beneath the folds.

'Surprised they don't have better security, really, with a newborn and all. Morons,' muttered Rookwood scathingly. Regulus couldn't do anything but nod.

'All you would have to do is push open the door…'

BANG!

Rookwood crashed back down the hallway, Regulus bumping mercilessly along underneath him, their legs intertwining to make them inseparable; Rookwood's fate was his. Rookwood came to a halt in a dusty patch of the street beyond. Regulus picked himself up only to see a green curse flying towards his head. He ducked just in time, and rolled back to the ground, the spell crashing harmlessly into a tree behind them and rebounding into some garbage bins in the alley beyond.

'Run!' yelled Rookwood, as the slight, blonde form of Alice Longbottom appeared as a silhouette in the doorway. He pulled Regulus behind a wall as a second and third curse hurtled after them. Regulus gasped as a fourth curse hit him square in the chest. He was knocked a full six feet into the air, gasping as he hit the ground in time to see Rookwood turn on the spot, Dissaparating just in time. Another spell raced through the thin air where he had been standing not a second before. Scrambling to his feet, the last thing he saw was a bright silver flash as another cursed missed him as he too, Dissaparated.


	6. A New Order

'You didn't get them?' Lord Voldemort's high voice screeched across the graveyard.

'Crucio!' Rookwood crumpled to the dusty earth, twitching and writhing as the torture curse held him tight in its grip. A slight twitch of amusement tugged at the lips of the masked wizard standing directly opposite him. The robed figure put his hand to his mouth, disguising the movement as a cough, tossing his hair over his shoulder. Regulus gasped. It was Lucius! Of course! Everything made sense, his disappearance in their sixth year, his father's vague letter to the school, his total absence from the lives of anyone who had ever known him. The rumors that had flown around the school.

The two of them had been friends at Hogwarts, until…

'Enough!' Lord Voldemort cried, releasing the spell's grip on the wretched man at his feet. Rookwood scrambled back to his place in the circle, still wincing in agony.

'Foolish of me…' His voice dropped to a malicious whisper. 'My fault…I shouldn't have trusted you with something this important after your…ah…incident with Amelia Bones…weak performance….' He paced around the circle, each Death Eater drawing back slightly as his footsteps passed them.

It appeared to amuse him that he had this effect on people, and he raised one white deathly finger as he approached a woman with an empty gap on her left.

'But where is dear Narcissa?' Voldemort asked the woman.

'Azkaban,' came the short, sharp reply. Regulus held back another gasp of shock. Bellatrix! His aunt, Bellatrix Lestrange. He had known she was a Death Eater, but somehow it had never occurred to him…his mother's sister! Here!

'Now, now,' warned Lord Voldemort, 'I have a little job for you. Success will mean…everything…to me.'

'Yes, my Lord?' Her voice changed to enthusiasm, bordering on adoration and pride.

'Complete the task. The task that Rookwood was too…weak…to accomplish. And take Black.'

'Yes, my Lord.' Regulus stirred at the sound of his name. From across the circle the eyes of Lucius Malfoy glittered angrily at him. Regulus guessed, correctly, that Lucius would have given his right arm to go with Bellatrix to apprehend the Longbottoms. Regulus was both glad not to be punished as Rookwood was, and also glad to have another shot.

Sitting at home, Regulus flipped open his photo album from his six years at Hogwarts. At the end was a few from his last, unfinished year. He turned to the beginning of book. The very first photo gave him a shock. Eleven-year-old Lucius waved at him from the page, smiling that nervous smile that Regulus remembered perfectly well from his first day at Hogwarts. The moment before the Sorting…sitting waiting for that hat to declare him in Slytherin…walking the endless path to his new House table…his first night. The very first morning he found himself sitting next to a tall boy with silvery-blonde hair.

'Could you pass the ketchup?' the boy had asked him. Regulus watched him pile sauce onto his scrambled eggs and they had been friends from the word go.

Then, third year happened. A girl called Christina Chang from Ravenclaw asked him out. Regulus was surprised. He didn't play Quidditch; he was average at lessons and had absolutely nothing to distinguish him from his other classmates. Regulus had become used to his friend Douglas, Beater on the Slytherin Quidditch team turning up to the Common Room with stories of his daters. He had accepted, and they had met in the library the next day to study together. Regulus remembered it like it was yesterday.

'Hi, Regulus.' She had been standing nervously next to a table piled with scrolls of parchment, quills, pots of ink and a completed essay. Her bag was slung over a chair.

'Hey, Christina.' He was also nervous, not knowing what to expect. They had sat down together. He reached for a quill at the same time she did, and their fingers brushed together. She pulled her hand back with a nervous laugh.

'I should find the book we need…' He got up and went to the shelves. Running his fingers along the spines, he searched for the title he needed. Footsteps sounded behind him. Christina pulled his hand, and he fell back against the wall at the end of the shelves. She stepped in close and before Regulus could think what to do she was kissing him, still holding onto his hand. He closed his eyes and kissed her back. She put both her hands up onto his neck, and Regulus ran his fingers through her hair. He was just growing breathless when…

SLAM!

Several books fell of a nearby shelf and he caught sight of a figure leaving the library. Christina shrugged and turned back to him. They had stayed behind the shelves for…Regulus couldn't even remember how long. He could remember the librarian, Professor Binns, whom everyone knew was chasing that History of Magic Job despite his age, came to shoo them out with various reprimands and threats.

'What's wrong with Lucius?' Regulus had asked Yaxely later that evening, after everyone had seen Lucius throwing his bag at the wall and then storming out of the Common Room and refusing to talk to anyone, not even Regulus.

'Rumor has it he likes some chick in Ravenclaw. And he saw her snogging someone in the library earlier today. Crazy, eh? A _Ravenclaw_…God…Regulus?' But Regulus had gone.

'Reparo! Reparo…' A distressed voice could be heard from the dorm as Regulus took the stairs two at a time.

'Why didn't you tell me you liked her, instead of putting a hole in the wall and destroying your textbooks the week before exams?' Regulus demanded, taking in the wreckage of smashed ink pots, broken quills, stained pages and ripped book covers Malfoy was trying to fix. Malfoy ignored him, still trying to mend his belongings with magic.

Regulus had continued to meet with Christina until they had broken it off last year, almost three full years later. Regulus had loved Christina, of that he was sure. They had been in love. But Malfoy didn't care. Regulus hadn't had a girlfriend since. And Lucius had despised him since. He flipped the pages to his third year. Christina kissed him on the lips, and then put her arm around his neck and smiled, waving up at him from the album. He felt a tug in his heart, and slammed the album shut. He had to concentrate. Bellatrix was coming for him tonight. And this time, they would get the Longbottoms. Frank Longbottom had been two years above him at Hogwarts. Regulus hated him on principle. He was a half-blood, and poor. Alice had started dating him when Regulus was in his fourth year. He hadn't known they were married until a few weeks ago, when he had heard a Gryffindor talking about it to a girl whose last name Regulus knew was Amelia Bone's sister. Although he did not know her name, he and his friends hated her because her sister Amelia had murdered two Death Eaters in two years.

Those Longbottoms didn't have a chance; he would make sure of that.


	7. Change of Heart

One witch and one wizard appeared, out of thin air, on the corner of a street Regulus was starting to know very well. Bellatrix walked before him quietly down the road and then pointed her wand at the gate and whispered a complicated string of spells. It noiselessly opened. She had explained this to him, the enchantments that had kept Rookwood and him out last time would only have been strengthened, and Lord Voldemort had used a couple of traitors that he had working in the Ministry to find out what they were and the best way to defeat them. Bellatrix had absolutely no chance of failure, Regulus knew. And he was glad that he was going to be there for the success. A Bella's nod, Regulus took a step forward and turned into the darkness, reappearing twenty feet ahead of where he had just been standing, Bella one pace behind him. The two of them crept to the kitchen door that opened onto the yard they were both standing in. Regulus kept himself behind the wall, watching carefully as Bella, as if in slow motion, took a step forward, directed her wand at the lock and sent green, glowing light shooting through it until it slammed open to smack against the bricks not three feet away from him. Alice appeared in the doorway, her expression of shock changing to one of fear as her husband appeared behind her, carrying the newborn Regulus had seen the last time.

Two swift Disarming charms rid the two Longbottoms of their wands.

'Put the baby down,' enunciated Bella, pointed at Frank.

'No!' he yelled, 'I won't! This is our…ah!' His hands shook and he fell to the floor as the Cruciatus curse hit him square in the chest. Alice dived for him, saving the baby from falling to the dirt, and then moved to put it down out of harm's way.

'Crucio!' yelled Bella, again, and no sooner had the baby touched the floor that Alice crumpled under the torture curse too, writhing on the ground next to her husband. She didn't let up the curse on either of the, and they both screamed and twisted on the ground, in the grip of their terrible pain. Finally, she flicked her wand skywards and the two of them stumbled shakily to their feet.

'Pick up the baby, Reg,' Bella demanded of Regulus, and he crossed the yard in four quick strides and pulled the baby roughly into his arms, hating it as he did so.

'Now,' Bella said delicately, twirling her wand between her fingertips as she spoke silkily to the Longbottoms,

'You will tell me what I want to know…you _will_…' She seemed to find it almost comical that she could expend such power over the two of them,

'…or I will torture you until you are too empty to say _anything_…to _anyone_…' she added, almost as an afterthought.

Regulus watched, holding the baby, as the two of them fell to the ground time after time, crying out, but not giving way under the increasing tortures that Bella was inflicting on them. They looked so pathetic that Regulus almost forgot who they were, and began to feel sorry for them. Almost. But,

'Fine!' snapped Bella, no longer speaking eloquently and smoothly,

'The baby is at stake. Regulus, point your wand at the snivelling thing…' He directed his wand at the baby's heart, but at that moment, the baby opened it's eyes and looked at him, almost pleadingly. Regulus told himself it was stupid, babies didn't _plead_…and who cared, they deserved no mercy.

'Regulus!' screamed Bella, 'Kill it!'

Regulus raised his wand, even opened his mouth, but…somehow, just couldn't do it.

'Idiot!' she hissed, 'I'll do it! Hand it –'

And that was the last he heard before he stepped and turned into the night and Apparated away from the scene, far away, to the only place that he knew where to go. His parent's house. He had to get out. He couldn't do what Bella, and the Dark Lord, and Rookwood and everyone wanted him to do. He just couldn't, he wasn't like that. Regulus had always thought he was, it had been bred into him, but…he couldn't explain it. And now he had a plan. He couldn't return to the Death Eaters, he couldn't just show up to the Order, he would have to fight on his own. But first, the infant.

He closed his eyes and Apparated onto Charring Cross Road, near the entrance of the Leaky Cauldron.

'Excuse me, sir,' he grabbed the arm of the first person that walked by, a man with greying hair in a dapper suit that was hurrying along rather anxiously.

'Where is the nearest orphanage. Abandoned child, you see…' The man pointed down the road, and then hurried off. Regulus stated walking in the direction that he had been shown, until he came across what looked like a rundown townhouse, but which had a sign on the outside. Pushing open the door, Regulus handed the child to the first person he saw, an oldish woman in long robes. She told him that they would try and find the family, all the time looking at his travel-worn robes oddly, as if she couldn't quite figure him out.

Hurrying back out, Regulus debated what to do. He knew that he would soon be dead, the Dark Lord wouldn't tolerate a Death Eater simply walking away. Abandoning their duty. Bellatrix would never forgive him, his family would never speak to him again. He felt such a strong surge of hate for them all at that moment; Bella for being willing to kill the baby, the Dark Lord, on whose orders both the Longbottoms were probably dead by now. His family, for teaching him all his life that he was superior because of his 'pure blood'. All of it, he hated all of it. Almost running into the Leaky Cauldron, he made up his mind. He would stay there, and then the next morning he would go into Diagon Alley, take the shortcut into Knockturn Alley, and then research through the books on Dark Arts until he found something that could help him. It was the only plan he had, but at that moment, he felt so incredibly tired that it was all he needed.


	8. The Way It All Ended

A rustling the bushed by my left foot gave Regulus a shock, and he backtracked several paces. He sighed in relief when a lone seagull flapped its wings in the darkness and headed for the steep cliffs up which he had just ascended.

'Lumos,' muttered Regulus. His wand-tip flared into light, and he took a cautious step forward. All his planning, all his research led to this point. Cautiously, he leant forward through the gloom. The wall of the cave he was expecting to see entered his line of vision, although it was much taller and more imposing. In his pocket, his fingers, although shaking a little in apprehension, tightened forcefully over his wand. He drew it out of his pocket, flicked it and thought _open_. Nonverbally, nothing happened. He sighed. This was what he had feared. He pulled up his left sleeve, exposing several inches of pale skin. He pointed his wand at himself, nonverbally tearing the skin. Blood gushed from it.

'Oops,' muttered Regulus, wiping his arm on the archway. It opened, a hole that grew bigger and bigger until the rock was barely there and he stepped through. His spell had been a bit excessive. He hadn't meant to draw that much blood, he must have been nervous. Tracing the large wound with his wand tip, the skin healed over, leaving a harsh-looking pink and white jagged scar there. Some of the pain left him. Carefully, Regulus picked his way across the cave, green, sickly colours tingeing the walls and throwing an eerie, ghostly light over everything.

He came to a halt next to the green lake. This was it, this was the tricky bit. He hoped to God that it would work, if not he had only one option; leave. And he couldn't bring himself to do that, he might lose his nerve. Besides, he had prepared himself for his fate now, and he didn't think he could manage that again. He took a deep breath and raised his wand.

'Accio!' he heard a whistling behind him, and he ducked just in time to avoid a knife burying itself in his neck. It clattered to the floor three feet behind him. He slowly turned and picked it up, grasping it in both hands. Now he had to hurry. A sense of urgency grasped him. He hoped desperately that the Ministry wouldn't track him down for about an hour. After that, he reckoned, it didn't matter if they found him; he would be dead by then anyway. He highly doubted that anybody would get in, and also knew that if they did, it was almost certain death for them, unless they had the good sense to get themselves out. That he couldn't help. He hurried to the edge of the lake, and reached around his consciousness. This was the tricky bit. He had to use Occulemency to close his mind to the Dark Lord, but open it to find the hidden…ah! One hand remained on the knife, while the other tugged the chain into visibility. On the end of it came a small boat, which Regulus quickly magicked into the green water. He lost no time in sweeping himself into it. Without direction, it chugged towards the island in the middle of the lake. He saw the dead, white hands and limbs of Inferi lurking just beneath the surface. A greenish glow emitted from a stone basin on a platform in the middle. A silver goblet was hanging in mid-air beside it. He knew what he had to do. The boat stayed where he left it. He knew that this was the last moment of living human sanity he would ever experience. He thought of Christina chang, the only girl he had loved in his short life, and for such a small amount of time. She had been in ravenclaw, and so sat at the table opposite him in the dining hall. Too bad he only figured that out after he had left Hogwarts for good. And now he would never see her again. The last time he had seen her in the Leaky Cauldron, she had been telling everyone who would listen that she wanted to have a daughter called cho, after a heroine in some book she had read. Regulus hoped that cho, if she ever existed, was as wonderful as her mother. He took a breath, and then sheathed the knife and stowed it in the pocket of his robes. He closed both hands over the goblet and pierced the surface of the potion in the stone basin. The cup filled, and Regulus put it to his lips.

'Sirius…' he whispered, the word echoing in the dark.

He was being chased by a Boggart through a forest…gulp. A patronus that wasn't his was hunting him down in the darkness…refill. He stood by, unable to move, as the Dark Lord tortured his brother…gulp…his mother…refill…his father…he turned his wand on him…he watched himself writing on the ground…refill. An army of centaurs sped after him in the Forbidden Forest…gulp…he was free-falling, his broom snapped…gulp…he crunched into the ground…refill…his bones were on fire…gulp. The potion was more than half gone. He just knew he couldn't stop. Bitten by vampire…gulp…disemboweled by a troll…gulp…torn to pieces by a dragon…refill…encased in fire…gulp. Now he could see the bottom. Barely conscious, he reached a hand into the basin and closed his hand around what was in the bottom, skin burning as it came in contact with the potion. He drew it out, and stabbed it with the knife he had stolen. Slipping into unconsciousness, he pulled a shaking hand out of his pocket, grasping a worthless metal locket. He aimed in into the now empty basin, and by what he could only assume was a lucky chance, clattered to the bottom. Green liquid began to fill the stone bowl, turning his vision blurred as he watched.

Crack. Blinding light. Unbearable pain. And then it was gone, the Horcrux, the locket, the knife, he didn't know whether the Dark Lord could feel it or not, and he didn't care at all, about anything anymore, And he was falling, blindly, welcoming death as a release from his pain. And, almost as if in slow motion, his wand rolled out from his pocket, and he fell to his knees, keeled over and slid into the green, murky water. He floated for a moment, on the surface, before hungry, dead faces and hands dragged him under the water. Forever.


End file.
